BAKU, Azerbaijan (Interstat) — Neftçi PFK opened its Premyer Liqa season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Araz-Naxçıvan PFK on Saturday at Palms Sports Arena, overcoming an early deficit to secure three points.

The visitors, Araz-Naxçıvan, stunned the home crowd in the 32nd minute when forward Imad Faraj found the net, giving his side an unexpected lead. The goal put Neftçi, a heavy pregame favorite, under immediate pressure.

Neftçi, projected by Interstat’s ELO system with a 72.50 percent probability to win, struggled to break down a disciplined Araz-Naxçıvan defense for the remainder of the first half. The home side’s breakthrough finally came just before the hour mark. In the 57th minute, midfielder Breno Almeida equalized, calming nerves around the stadium and shifting the momentum decisively.

The comeback was completed just nine minutes later. In the 66th minute, forward Slavik Alxasov scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, completing the turnaround and sending the home supporters into celebration. Despite the final margin, the match proved tighter than some forecasts, including a Interstat game simulator projection of a 3-1 Neftçi win.

Following Alxasov’s goal, Neftçi managed the game effectively, seeing out the remaining minutes to clinch the victory. The result provides a positive start for Neftçi PFK under the league’s organization, while Araz-Naxçıvan will rue letting an early advantage slip away.

With the win, Neftçi PFK begins its Premyer Liqa campaign with a perfect record of one win and zero losses, carrying that form across all competitions. Araz-Naxçıvan PFK starts its season in this competition with a record of zero wins and one loss, mirroring its overall record.

The match, contested between two of Azerbaijan’s top clubs, sets the tone for Neftçi’s ambitions in the domestic league as they look to build on this opening performance. For Araz-Naxçıvan, the narrow defeat, despite being outmatched on paper, offers signs of competitive resilience they will aim to convert into points in future fixtures.